Kira groaned as her head slid up. Why did she feel like she’d been dropped in a sack, beaten, and thrown in the river with a cat? Her mouth was dry, and she tried to clear her throat only to find a cloth in her way. She tried to reach for the gag only to realize her hands were bound in front of her. Her eyes widened as she remembered.
Sheen had had her shot. Kira was being delivered as a product. She was done for.
Growling through her gag, she kicked at her box. She was in a tiny crate with barely enough room to move around in. The walls were made of thick wood except for the ceiling. The ceiling had a few metal bars across it and a blanket over that. She shouldered the roof, but the bars were thicker than the wood. She wasn’t going out that way.
“Hey sounds like the little chicky is awake,” gurgled a man. Kira went blind for a moment as the blanket was removed and let in the bright sun. A man she didn’t recognize was leaning over to look at her. “How are you feeling, little chicky?” Kira thrashed about in her cage and screamed she would tear out his throat when she had the chance. It all just came out as a loud mumble through her gag.
“That’s nice,” he said cruelly, probably guessing her intent. “Hold your head up for some water.” Kira looked away, but the man still unscrewed his water jug. “I’m pouring water down. You can get a drink, or you can get a bath. The choice is yours.”
Kira growled but held her head up. There was no point dehydrating herself in the desert. If she was going to escape somehow, then she’d need her strength. The water splashed across her face mostly, but some made it to her gag and mouth. She already felt stronger and more alert as she sucked at the water. The blanket came over again and Kira was put back in darkness.
As far as she could tell, the sun had been up near noon. She had no idea when they’d left, but most caravans left just a little after dawn. From the sounds of the group outside, it was a big caravan. They were probably leaving after all the town’s goods were settled for the festival. She just wished she knew where they were going.
Her life had almost been so great. Kira thought she had escaped all this and was about to start anew. Her forehead stiffened as she tried to think and something crinkled. The paint Sakien had put on her head was still there. Sakien. Would he come for her? If he managed to save her, then she would do everything she could to repay him one day.
*
“We are not making as good of time as I would’ve hoped,” said Dezzlin. He wheeled his horse around expertly and looked at the rest of the group. Diake was just behind him, looking grim at the slow pace they were having to take. At a hard run, they should’ve been able to catch up to the caravan in a day or so. At this rate however, the caravan would hit the town before they would.
The problem was with Sakien and Mekov. The two northern men had never actually seen horses until three months ago and they’d certainly never ridden one. The closest either of them had had with them was being in a cart pulled by one. On them for the first time, Dezzlin understood that a hard ride was going to be just as hard of a task. Still, he’d hoped for better than this.
Sakien was as determined as any man could be to get to the caravan before Kira was sold into slavery. He rode with his head held high and axe at his side, but he didn’t always ride in the right direction. He had an awful tendency to push his horse back to the road with his axe and terrify the poor beast with the monstrous weapon. Sakien could hold on pretty well until he calmed the horse down, but it was obvious he had no idea what he was doing. That still put him a few points ahead of Mekov.
Mekov was terrified of being on a large animal, and he made no effort to conceal it. He said the reason he liked his lance and shield was because he could stay low to the ground where he was comfortable. Anytime he was near a large animal his instinct was to kill it. He didn’t so much hold onto the reins but to the horse’s neck. Mekov looked like he was trying to break it. His long lance would’ve made him a formidable opponent on horseback, but it seemed to hinder him more than help him. The long pole had thrown his balance off more than once and he usually met the sand with a scream. It always ended with a feral cry and a demand to stab the horse.
“Come on!” shouted Dezzlin. “We need to cross as much ground as possible while we still have light.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to travel at night anyway?” asked Diake. Dezzlin shook his head.
“Not out here. Too many wild animals which see better at night than we do. If we’re even more unlucky, a horse might trip in the sand and break a leg. No, it’s better if we stop at night.” Sakien trotted a little closer and smiled. Mekov was ten feet behind him, trying to keep the horse at a gallop.
“Let’s take a break,” said Sakien. Dezzlin frowned, but Sakien patted his horse. “I don’t know how to ride, but I know when an animal is thirsty.”
Dezzlin had to give him that. These horses were bred and used for desert crossings, but the hot sun brings down all things in time. Dehydration in the desert killed more living creatures than anything else. He dismounted and brought his weary horse forward.
“Five minute water break!” They didn’t have a giant supply of water, but they’d have enough to make it to the next oasis and refill. Mekov was the last to get off his horse, and he groaned as he twisted his back.
“How do you get used to these things?” he complained. “My ass hurts.”
“That’s because you’re supposed to be riding the horse, not let it ride you,” said Diake.
“Oh ha ha,” said Mekov. “Do we really have a few days like this?”
“Longer if you two can’t get a hold of your horses,” said Dezzlin. “We really need to pick up the pace.”
“I know,” said Sakien. “We’re getting better.”
“Better won’t cut it if we’re going to get Kira,” said Diake. “When we start again, we’re going fast. You two better be ready for it.”
“We’ll manage,” said Sakien as he rubbed his horse’s head.
“I won’t,” snapped Mekov. “Why’d you bring me out here?”
“Because you stabbed five people and got me kicked out of town,” growled Dezzlin. “God knows I’ll never see any of those women again.”
Mekov’s expression didn’t change as he moved. His eyes stayed bitter, but his body moved with open malice. His lance suddenly shot forward, and Dezzlin was defenseless against it.
The tip froze only inches away from Dezzlin’s heart. Nobody could be sure who stopped it first, Mekov or Sakien’s hand, but it was too close. Before any of them could start shouting, Sakien pushed the lance aside and started to walk Mekov away from the group.
“He didn’t mean it like that,” said Sakien. “You know he didn’t.”
“Like hell he didn’t!” shouted Dezzlin, only to realize Sakien wasn’t talking to him. He was comforting Mekov about something. Dezzlin looked to Diake confused. “Wait, what just happened?”
“I’m guessing an old wound,” said Diake. “Mekov wasn’t going to stab you, he was just threatening you.”
“I…bah I don’t care.”
“You should. We just saw a hint of their past.” Dezzlin sighed as he watched Mekov and Sakien argue quietly. He was too frustrated to try and think about their past. He didn’t care as much as Diake did to finding out the real story.
“I probably will never see those women again.”
“Neither will I,” said Diake.
“But damn what a night,” chuckled Dezzlin.
“Heck yeah!” Diake looked away and whispered. “If only I could remember it.”
“What?” asked Dezzlin.
“Nothing.”
“No, I’m pretty sure you said something,” said Dezzlin with a grin. Diake didn’t want to answer, and fortunately, Sakien and Mekov were coming back.
“I’m sorry,” said Mekov. “It’s hot out, I’m just a little frustrated.” Dezzlin and Diake were both surprised. They’d never heard Mekov sound apologetic about anything.
“It’s okay,” said Dezzlin. “Everyone ready to go?”
“I guess,” said Sakien as he pulled himself back into his saddle. “We going fast?”
“Yup,” said Diake. “As fast as the wind.”
“Just hold on Mekov,” said Dezzlin. “I’m going to take your reins and lead your horse.”
“Oh goody,” said Mekov nervously.
*
The ride for the rest of the day became much faster. Diake led the way, charging his horse down the road as hard as he could. He loved the feeling of the wind pushing against him with the powerful animal rushing away underneath him. Wearing his armor and longsword on his side, Diake grinned as he realized it was moments like this were the reason he became a hunter. He felt like some legendary hero riding the wind.
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
Dezzlin was only a bit behind him with Mekov’s reins in his hands. Mekov’s horse was still unsure about its rider, but it understood that Dezzlin knew what he was doing. It just followed after Dezzlin as quickly as it could. Dezzlin didn’t quite get the same enjoyment as Diake as he focused on both horses. He was the most experienced rider; however, nobody could lead multiple horses better.
Sakien brought up the rear right behind Mekov. He had learned how to ride quickly, if not a bit clumsily. He still didn’t have a good feel for how to ride a horse, but his sense of balance was wonderful. He reacted with his horse like a pro, and Dezzlin would’ve been proud of him. All Sakien had to do now was learn how to trust his damn horse and he’d be a natural. Trust however, seemed to be asking too much.
They rode until the sun began to set over the sand dunes. Dezzlin called for a halt, and they moved off the road a bit to set up camp.
“We’re going to have to take shifts with a watch tonight,” said Dezzlin.
“Don’t we always?” asked Sakien.
“Yes, but tonight we actually have to pay attention. A horse is an easy thing to steal in the desert and a lot of animals know it.”
“Are they too stupid to watch for other animals?” asked Mekov.
“No,” said Dezzlin as he pulled his pack off his horse. “They should give us a good indication if something else is out there.”
“Well that’s a relief,” said Sakien. “Should we risk a fire?”
“I don’t see why not?” said Diake. “Dezzlin?”
“Fire should help ward away most things. I think we’ll be fine to have warm food tonight.”
Diake started a small fire and brought out some meat for a quick cook. Sakien and Mekov were bickering next to their horses over the allotment of money. Between buying the horses, supplies, and the bets last night, they had a real imbalance of coin. Dezzlin finished looking over all four horses before they were done.
“I’ve never seen two friends bicker so much over a few coins,” whispered Dezzlin to Diake. Diake just shrugged.
“Up in the north materials are much rarer than out here. I’ve heard they’re all very stingy when it comes to their personal wealth.”
“How many northerners have you actually met?”
“My region did a lot of trading with them, but I’ve only met those two. A lot of traders go out to them, but the north almost never comes out. They like their lands, and they like sticking to their own tribes. They consider the rest of us strange.”
“You are strange!” shouted Mekov as he sorted some coin into Sakien’s bag.
“They consider us weird?” laughed Dezzlin, completely ignoring the other two.
“Just shows you how different the rest of the world is,” said Diake. “Your lands here in the desert aren’t too different from my own, but there’s still some aspects of your life that are completely alien to me. The only real way to see how different everyone is is to see it all for yourself.”
“Yeah I know. You told me that the first day we met. It’s why you’re traveling.” Diake nodded. Dezzlin leaned away from the fire and looked to Sakien and Mekov. “You two never said why you’re so far from home.”
“No we never did,” said Sakien as he sealed his bag up. Dezzlin held his hands out waiting for an explanation. Mekov and Sakien joined them by the fire smiling as they’d finished their transactions. Mekov frowned at Dezzlin.
“What?” Dezzlin sighed as he realized they never intended to tell him.
“Thank you both for coming,” said Sakien, changing the subject. “I know I got you both in trouble.”
“It was about time to move on anyway,” said Diake.
“I just want to ask, why are you coming with us? You don’t have to.”
“Well it was either go north or south, and I’ve already been north. Plus I liked Kira too, she was nice,” said Diake with a smile. “I’m also not a fan of slavers. Slavery isn’t allowed where I’m from.”
“Your land is messed up,” said Mekov, pointing a finger at Dezzlin.
“It’s not my decision!” exclaimed Dezzlin. “Besides, any slaves that lived in my town were never treated as slaves. My father had some servants, but they were more like my older brothers. They were allowed to do whatever they wanted, they just worked for my father too.”
“I know some people aren’t nice to slaves,” continued Dezzlin angrily. “We never dealt with those who were cruel to other people. My father used to say there were too few people in the world to try and declare war on ourselves. I don’t like what they’re doing to Kira any more than you do.”
“Speaking of Kira,” said Diake, “I think it’s time we learn a bit more about your culture.”
“What about it?” asked Mekov.
“What is this master student bond thing you have? What does it entail?”
“I could explain the very long and lengthy history behind it, but to put it simply, it’s more like being a parent,” said Sakien. “I watch after Kira and take care of her in every way. It’s not just about fighting either; it’s about teaching her how to survive. She will learn everything from fighting, to reading and writing, to controlling a ship, to how to dance. Everything she will ever need to lead a successful life.”
“Since every adult fights in the north, it’s not uncommon for a child to lose their parents,” said Mekov. “This was created so nobody was left behind. Parentless children would still learn how to become successful members of the tribe. It’s usually left to the most successful members of the tribe to help the less fortunate.”
“Hence the northern expression, we leave nobody to the ice,” said Sakien. “We don’t abandon anyone.”
“So why’d you take to Kira?” asked Dezzlin.
“Because this idiot believes in signs from above,” said Mekov. Sakien’s face didn’t change as he suddenly elbowed Mekov to the floor. Mekov always kept his shield on his back, and he looked like a turtle squirming on the floor. Dezzlin tried not to laugh.
“It was a sign,” declared Sakien, ignoring Mekov’s angry grunts. “She was heading out into the wild, and we told her she’d never make it. She asked me if I could teach her how to survive. She asked me just like one of our children would. I couldn’t ignore her plea.”
“And how long does this last?” asked Diake as he took a bite of meat. Damn these desert spices made food hot.
“Until I feel she’s ready,” said Sakien.
“How long is that?” asked Dezzlin. Sakien shrugged.
“Who knows? Depends how fast she learns.”
“Could someone stay a student forever?” asked Diake.
“No,” said Mekov as he shot an evil glance to Sakien. “Usually one dies before that.”
Diake and Dezzlin shared a concerned look before looking back at them. “And you say my culture is strange?” asked Dezzlin.
Sakien and Mekov laughed and ate their food. Dezzlin lectured them on the finer points of riding and controlling a horse. Diake tuned out Dezzlin’s notes as he ate. He’d heard all this before and had his own thoughts to tend to. He wondered what their plan would be once they met up with the caravan. Diake had to find a better solution than try and kill everyone. They’d have to trade something with the caravan leader or trader who had Kira. He just wondered how hard that would be. Something caught his eye and he forgot all about trade.
“What’s that?” asked Diake as he pointed over Mekov’s shoulder. Out in the darkness of the desert, a small fire had appeared. It was tiny, but it shone like a star in pitch black night. It was a long way off, but everyone watched it curiously.
There was a small twang in the distance and a loud thud next to Mekov. A crossbow bolt flashed through the darkness and struck Mekov’s back hard only to bounce away harmlessly against his shield.
“AMBUSH!” shouted Diake as more bolts came in. Where they were coming from was an absolute mystery. Diake couldn’t see anyone in the darkness, but they could all be seen next to the fire. “Scatter!”
They all burst into the darkness except for Mekov. He didn’t pick up his lance or even run, just simply picked up his other shield. It wasn’t good enough for a real monster attack, but it was easily thick enough to stop crossbow bolts. He slammed his two shields together and began to advance towards the shooters.
“It’s turtle time!” he declared. Mekov didn’t even need to look where he was going. He just listened to the pounding on his shield and kept going.
Out in the darkness another small orb of fire raised into the sky before it struck home and there was a scream. Someone had shot one of their attackers with a flaming bolt! The fire went out almost instantly, but for the briefest moment, the man was lit up. Looks of horror crossed the faces of the shooters. The darkness, and their greatest advantage, was gone.
The three remaining shooters were torn between their targets. Mekov was advancing slowly but surely with his shields. The other three had vanished into the darkness and were probably coming towards them. Then, there was their hidden shooter. The best targets the men had were the horses and those were the least of their concerns.
Something sharp whistled through the air and one of the men screamed as a knife cut his arm. Diake cursed silently as he’d missed and drew his sword. The shooters fired in a different direction, and there was a cry of panic from Dezzlin. Another bolt whizzed into the group and struck a new member.
There was a grunt and Sakien appeared. The two remaining crossbowmen turned on him only for his large axe to collide with them. His throw hadn’t killed either of them, but the large weapon knocked both of them to the sand. One of the men leapt to his feet and drew a knife. The other rolled backwards and pulled Sakien’s large axe up in his hands.
Sakien met the knife wielder with his fists. He caught the swing of the knife with one hand and decked the man with the other. The man rolled backwards and came up slashing. Despite the surprise blow to the face, the man was quick to respond. Sakien snarled as he yanked his carving knife out. This man knew how to fight.
The one with Sakien’s axe almost went to aid his friend when he saw the flashing steel come out of the darkness. He caught Diake’s blade on the pole and pushed back angrily. Diake retracted his blade and came in at the man’s sides. The assassin deflected them before performing a large swing back at Diake, but he had no idea how to use Sakien’s enormous weapon. Diake grinned as he twirled his blade.
Sakien's fight was turning into a boxing match instead of a knife fight. Both men easily dodged the knives and returned with a fist. Sakien knew after receiving his first blow to the face that this could be a long fight. The man didn’t strike hard, just fast. He’d hit the man three times now; once in the face and twice in the stomach, but the man seemed impervious to pain. This would be a test of endurance.
Diake stepped backwards, watching the wide swings go by him. He just had to wait for his right moment to go in. He would wait until either this man wore himself out or overextended himself, and then he would cut him in half. He didn’t spare a moment to look over to Sakien to see how he was doing. While uneducated with the large axe, it was still a large axe. One wrong step and Diake would never walk again.
Forgotten in the fight was Mekov advancing with his two shields. When the bolts had stopped coming, he’d peered through the gap in his shields to see if it was safe. When he saw the shooters tied up in fights, he made his way over unhindered. Mekov stepped behind Diake’s attacker and chuckled at the man’s blind spot. Then he put his weight behind his shield and shoulder tackled the man.
The man fumbled for balance as he was blindsided by Mekov. Worse, Sakien’s heavy weapon only pulled him further off his feet. He was completely exposed and he knew he was dead before Diake’s blade even touched him.
Diake finished his sweep and let the assassin fall to the ground. He’d wanted to take the man alive if possible, but the attack was just too good. The man had fallen into his swing and Diake would be surprised if the man lived another minute. He nodded his thanks Mekov.
Sakien and the other man were in a horrible stalemate, each holding the other’s knife hand and each knife was poised for the other’s throat. One slip and someone would die. Sweat dripped down their foreheads in large beads as they tried to overpower the other. The assassin was sweating harder, and his eyes kept darting to Sakien’s knife. Sakien’s carving knife was much longer than the assassin’s blade. A few more inches and the assassin’s neck would be pierced.
Dezzlin approached them almost lazily, one hand on his side where the bolt had grazed him. He stared at the struggle bitterly and held his sword over his head with one hand. Both Sakien and the man looked at Dezzlin just before the blade dropped. They both knew what was about to happen.
Dezzlin’s sword dropped into the assassin’s knife arm. If Dezzlin had used both hands, then he could’ve taken the man’s arm clean off. Instead, he just drew a long bloody gash, but it was enough. The man howled in pain and his body dropped away instinctively.
Sakien drove his knife straight through the man’s throat and kicked him to the floor. There was a loud slurp as his knife came back out. He looked to Dezzlin and nodded his thanks.
“You were taking too long,” said Dezzlin.
“You okay?” asked Sakien.
“I’ll live.” Diake was checking the downed men to see if any could still talk when Mekov stepped behind him with both shields raised.
“One more shooter,” he reminded the group.
“Don’t worry. If I had wanted to, I could’ve put a bolt through your heart already,” said Miranda.